The SARUS Story
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Discovery
The Sarus hood was invented by Professor Peter Stonebridge (Medical Director, NHS Tayside). The clinical requirements of the product have been designed and prototyped by Rodney Mountain (ENT surgeon, NHS Tayside). The device has been developed as a partnership between the NHS, Keela International and SHIL (Scottish Health Innovations Ltd) .
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CPR Application
The hood offers an affordable, rapid first-response to initiate airway ventilation and can be used in a wide range of settings by personnel working in hospitals, as part of ambulance and rescue services, in GP practices, Transportation services or as part of CPR services provided by First aiders and citizens in the community.
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Design
The hood is designed to act as personal protective equipment (PPE) applied to the patient, immediately reducing droplet and aerosol spread of fluid borne diseases. It is constructed as a small, lightweight textile hood that integrates a ventilation mask, viral filters, clear plastic barrier between the patient and personnel and the option of a closed ‘Yankauer’ oral suction system.
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Safety Impact
The product provides a simple solution to globally relevant disease transmission risks faced by CPR personnel. The SARUS-CPR hood solves the problem of aerosol containment, speeds up first-response times to patients in need and protects personnel. Airway ventilation is an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP) and poses a risk of airborne disease transmission to personnel. Coronavirus guidelines advise that personnel should don full AGP PPE before starting airway ventilation – this process takes time, can cause delays in initiating airway resuscitated and often creates a contamination risk to personnel when adequate AGP PPE is not easily available. Personnel are often contaminated by coughed droplets, saliva, blood and vomitus, all with the potential for disease transmission.
